The Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), through its School of Technology and Social Sciences (SOTSS), has set the stage for a national push towards innovation and technology-driven development following the successful launch of the GIMPA Tech Fair & Industry Showcase 2026.

The launch, held on April 16, 2026 at GIMPA, brought together approximately 300 participants, including stakeholders from government, industry, academia, and the student community, under the theme: “Innovating for Impact: Technology Solutions for Ghana’s Future.”

Representing the Rector, the Deputy Rector, Professor Ebenezer Adaku, underscored the importance of strengthening collaboration between academia and industry to drive meaningful innovation and prepare students for real-world challenges.

A highlight of the event was a high-level panel discussion featuring leading voices from government, industry, academia, and student innovators. The Director-General of the National Information Technology Agency (NITA), Ing. Dr. Mark-Oliver Kevor, outlined government’s commitment to advancing digital infrastructure, including plans to develop sovereign cloud solutions for government projects and implement policies aimed at empowering young people in the technology space.

From the energy sector, Dr. Alfred Dawson Quansah, representing GNPC, emphasized the growing availability of data and the opportunities it presents for predictive analytics and research collaboration with academia. What we need now are structured pathways to move innovation from the lab to the real world. A genuine triple-helix model; where academia drives research, industry enables application, and government provides the regulatory and policy backbone He also highlighted the importance of structured data-sharing policies in unlocking value from industry data while maintaining appropriate governance.

From an enterprise perspective, the Chief Information Officer of Access Bank Ghana, Mr. David Quagraine, provided practical insights into what it takes for technology solutions to be adopted within large organizations. He emphasized the need for innovators to focus on scalability, reliability, and alignment with real business needs in order to move from concept to implementation.

Adding an academic perspective, Dr. Joseph Budu, Senior Lecturer in Information Systems, highlighted the importance of aligning technology systems with user needs and institutional realities to ensure successful deployment and long-term impact.

Representing the voice of emerging innovators, Delphine Mawuli, a Level 400 BSc Computer Science student, shared perspectives on the challenges faced by young developers and the need for stronger support systems, including access to funding, mentorship, and industry partnerships.

A key consensus emerging from the discussion was the need for strong collaboration between government, industry, and academia, with government playing a leading role in creating an enabling environment for innovation to thrive.

The launch marks the beginning of a series of activities leading to the main GIMPA Tech Fair & Industry Showcase, scheduled for June 3, 2026, which will feature project exhibitions, hackathons, and industry engagements aimed at showcasing practical, technology-driven solutions.